This morning, Trot Insider spoke with Carmen Perzow about the multi-locale 'manifestation' which took place across Quebec today
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Perzow told Trot Insider this morning that the manifestation is to make an official and urgent protest to Monique Jérôme-Forget, Quebec's minister of finance.
Perzow told Trot Insider that 50 trucks with horse trailers will be travelling past the Montreal casino before a sit-in at Hippodrome de Montreal. She said 30 trailers will be participating in a sit-in at the racetrack in Gatineau. Thirty trucks will also be taking the same action at Sulky Quebec, while 20 trucks and trailers will be arriving at the Trois Rivieres facility.
Perzow told Trot Insider that once authorities heard about the course of action, they offered an escort for the mass transportation.
Perzow said that the provincial horsepeople want Attractions Hippiques' 22.5% commission from VLTs to be suspended due to the organization not living up to its contractual obligations. Perzow said that the horsepeople want the money instead put into a fund for horsepeople.
She also said that horsepeople want the government to take back the assets which were sold to Attractions Hippiques in 2006 for $1 million, even though those assets were valued at $15 million.
Perzow also told Trot Insider that horsepeople want live racing at all of Quebec's racetracks started up as soon as possible, as the horsepeople, breeders and owners have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the industry, more than holding up their end of the industry.
In related news, Jérôme-Forget announced this morning during a Quebec City news conference with premier Jean Charest that she is stepping down as the province's finance minister and is leaving politics.
"There's never a good time to leave politics," said Jérôme-Forget.
To read a cbc.ca article regarding Jérôme-Forget's departure, click here.